Outboard motor bracket



Nov. 29, 1938. L. J. HARMON OUTBOARD MOTOR BRACKET Filed Sept. 23, 1937 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS N O M R .A H 5 E M A J Y O L .L

mm PM ulllllllllr|lllll|lllillfll Lila Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 2,138,600 OUTBOARD MOTOR BRACKET Lloyd J. Harmon, New York, N. 1., aasignor to Outboard, Marine 8: Manufacturing Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application September 23, 1937, Serial No. 165,263

6 claims. (Cl. 248-4) This invention relates to improvements in outboard motor brackets. t 7

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a fully adjustable false transom for use I on boats of varying free-board above the ,water line to enable conventional outboard motors to be used in the propulsion of such boats, while rendering such motors freely tiltable about either one or both of two different horizontal axes, and

10' providing means for maintaining the motor in tilted adjustment either while it is in position for use or for the purpose of enabling it to be lifted'above the water level. This last feature is of particular advantage in the case of sailing 15 vessels on which the motor can be manipulated with a minimum of handling from its stored position to its active position, the stored position being such as to keep the propeller out of water, thus avoiding the drag which would be occa- 20 sioned by its continuance in the active position. The utility of my improved bracket is, however, not limited to the adaptation of outboard motors for use on sail boats. On the contrary, the bracket is of almost universal application and 25 may even be used in connection with small rowboats or the like, if desired. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following disclosure.

In the drawing:

80 Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my device in use as a means of mounting an outboard motor on the stern or transom of a relatively large boat.

Figure 2' is an enlarged detail view of the ap- -aa paratus as it appears in plan when viewed separately.

Figure 3 is a view looking aft at the false transom from the position indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 2, the adjustable bar of the device being shown 40 in section. Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The transom plate 4 is connected, as by bolts or screws 5, to the stern B of the boat I. Seg- 45 ment means project aft from plate 4. Inthe particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the second means comprises a pair of generally semi-circular flanges 8 which are spaced from each other and provided with correspond- 50 ing rows of apertures to receive adjustably the supporting bolt 9. The apertures may conveniently be arranged in sets concentrically about the axis of the plntle bolt l upon which the supporting bar H is fulcrun'led for pivotal move- 55 ment to and from whatever position is determined for it by the adjusting bolt 9. The adjusting bolt preferably passes beneath the bar ll, rather than through the bar, so that the bar will be free to move upwardly from the position in which it normally rests as shown in full lines '5 in Fig. 1 toward the position shown in dotted lines, or even therebeyond.

At the aft end of the bar there is an almost identical arrangement except that the plate, in this case, takes the form of a false transom l 10 of a size and shape to be adapted to receive the conventional transom bracket clamp l6 of an ordinary outboard motor such as is generically designated by reference character H. The plate l5, like plate 4, has the segment means which, 16 in the illustrated device, comprises a pair of ears l8 provided with corresponding apertures in arcuately disposed sets to receive the adjustable bolt IS. The supporting bar H is fulcrumed on the pintle bolt 20 which passes through the 20 two ears l8 substantially at the point about which the arcuate set of holes is concentric. Inthis instance also, the distribution of weight is. such that the adjusting bolt is preferably used below the bar ll.

It will be apparent from Fig. 1 that the thrust of the propeller 2| will be exerted in a direction tending to oscillate the false transom plate l5 about the plntle bolt 20 in a counter-clockwise direction, thus maintaining the adjustable bolt I9 tight against the under surface of the supporting bar II.

The thrust is likewise transmitted through the supportingbar in a direction tending to oscillate that bar in a counter-clockwise direc- 5 tion about its upper fulcrum on bolt ID. This thrust is absorbed by the adjusting bolt 9 during normal operation. If, however, a submerged obstacle should be encountered, the false transom plate l5 could oscillate on the pintle bolt 20 to permit the lower unit of the outboard motor to swing out of the water. If the clearance was inadequate, or if the shock were more nearly vertical, the bar H, together with the entire false transom assembly, could oscillate bodily 5 toward the dotted line position in which it appears in Fig. 1.

Thus, even though the outboard motor is not equipped with a tilting feature, it is rendered tiltable by the use of the present invention. The tilting not only occurs automatically as when a submerged obstacle is encountered, but it may be effected by manipulating or elevating the motor as shown in Fig. 1 and securing it in its elevated position by readjusting the bolt 9 so that the motor will be supported clear of the I water It be apparent that by means of this invention a scow, barge, or sail boat or other craft oiasize toohighto beadapted to use aconunderstood that the plate 4 may be made of various shapes to flt different types of stems and that numerous modifications may be made in the V apparatus herein disclosed without altering the principle upon which it operates.

Where the outboard motor is of a well known- -type which in itself has suflicient provision for 20 angularity of adjustment to maintain it vertical,

the adjustable connection between the false transom plate is and the supporting arm ll may be dispensed with.

I claim; r

1. An outboard motor bracket comprising a pair of plates, one of which is shaped for attachment to the stern of a boat and the otherof which comprises means adapted to receive an outboard motor, and a support pivotally connected with both of said plates, each of said plates. having mechanism for adjustably restraining relative pivotal movement between said support and the respective plate, whereby to flx a position of said outboard motor and to transmit thrust therefrom.

2. An outboard motor bracket comprising the combination with a mounting plate provided with a transverse pintle, of a supporting arm fol- .crumed on said pintle, a false transom plate having a similar pintle upon which said arm is fulcrumed, and thrust mechanism connected with the respective plates and engageable, in each instance, against the under surface of said arm, whereby adjustably to limit the angular movement of said plates respecting said arm in one direction while leaving such plates free for relative movement respecting said arm'in the other direction.

3. An outboard motor bracket comprising a mounting plate havingspaced ears provided with corresponding sets of apertures, a pintle connecting said ears,- an arm pivoted on said pintle and provided with an outboard motor support, and a thrust member extending through corresponding apertures of said ears beneath said pintle to receive the weight and thrust of said arm.

4. An outboard motor bracket comprising a mounting plate'having spaced ears provided with corresponding sets of apertures, a pintle connecting saidears, an arm pivoted on. said pintle and provided with an outboard motor support,

and a thrust member extending through corresponding apertures of said ears beneath saidpintle to receive the weight and thrust of said arm, said outboard motor support comprising a false transom having like ears, pintle, and thrust member, said arm being disposed between the last mentioned ears and pivoted on the last men- 'tioned pintle in abutment with the last mentioned thrust member.

5. An outboard motor bracket comprising the combination with an arm, of a false transom pivoted to one end of the arm, a mounting plate pivoted to the other end of the arm, thrust means engageable between the false transom andone side of the arm to restrain relative movement in one direction, and a second thrust means engageable between the mounting plate tion with said arm and thrust means adjustably connected with the mounting plate and engageable by said arm to define a predetermined angular position .thereof with respect to the mounting plate, said aim being freely movable from said thrust means in an upward direction away from said position.

from J. HARMON. 

